So Much for ‘Fair Chase,’ Former Senator Allegedly Shot Trapped Cougar

A bobcat trapped cougar was supposedly shot by a former South Dakota Senator.

According to the ArgusLeader.com, Gordon Howie has been charged with illegally killing a mountain lion while it was caught in a bobcat trap on January 31, 2013. It is classified as a misdemeanor charge.

Howie served in the South Dakota state Senate from 2005-2010. He also ran for governor in 2010.

South Dakota hunting regulations restrict the killing of game animals stuck in traps, whether they are meant for that specific animal or not. ‘Fair chase,’ the commonly referred to idea of giving animals ample opportunity to avoid being hunted and harvested, is the basis for many of America’s hunting regulations.

Howie is said to be remorseful of his actions after his fault had been discovered. He reportedly took the cougar carcass to a Game, Fish and Wildlife office, where a biologist recognized wounds in the animal’s legs as likely trap-induced.

Do you think Howie should have been charged with the illegal killing of a game animal? Would it be different if it were a moose or a deer killed in a similar way? Leave your thoughts below.

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So Much for ‘Fair Chase,’ Former Senator Allegedly Shot Trapped Cougar